SGE His Broken Heart (Sequel to His Darkened Heart)

Chapter 19 As Broken as Ever

"Could it be that his already broken heart was shattering even more so?"
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~ JAPETH'S POV ~

Rhian's Reckoning had come. A reckoning that'd been overdue for a while now.

For four days since leaving Camelot, Japeth had hid himself away inside the School Master's tower and evaded students and teachers the times he'd roam into the Schools searching for food to eat.

It was on the third day that Japeth found himself in the school for good, looking for the kitchens, when he saw a few familiar faces in the crowd. It was Tedros, Agatha, and the many friends of theirs that'd been meant to be executed until Rhian stupidly called off the execution.

Japeth hid around a corner and spied on them. Tedros and Agatha were distraught still over Dovey's death, but they also were determined to take action and somehow restore Tedros to Camelot's throne.

"Sophie's still there," Agatha breathed. "She's there, by Rhian's side for a reason I don't know."

"She's the worst kind of evil," Hester butted in, tapping her warted foot in impatience. "That's what the worst kind of evil does; betrays their friends for a boy. She's done it before with Rafal! What makes you think she wouldn't do it again?"

Anadil and a few others murmured in agreement, but Agatha only shook her head in disbelief. "No," Agatha said defensively. "I know Sophie. She wouldn't betray us again. She wouldn't betray me. She'd rather die than marry Rhian."

"If you're so sure about her loyalties, than lets go rescue her," Tedros said, shocking the rest of his friends who knew full well Tedros disliked Sophie.

"The wedding date went up," Hort stated, shaking his head in confusion. "Why would Rhian change the wedding date and not marry Sophie sooner since that's obviously what he wanted her for; to be his bride, his queen. It doesn't make a lick of sense."

"It makes as much sense as Rhian calling off the execution," Agatha said, tapping her lips in thought. "Perhaps...Rhian isn't as bad as we thought he was. I mean, he showed us—his own enemies—mercy, and since then, news has spread that the other rulers are finally beginning to doubt Rhian's place on the throne." Agatha turned to Tedros, and there was a glint of hope glimmering in her brown eyes as she said; "Perhaps this means we've been given an opportunity to restore you to the throne. Perhaps this means we finally have a chance—"

Tedros shook his head, disagreeing with his princess. "No," he said, sounding so broken and disheartening that Japeth felt a flare of satisfaction stir in his gut. "Just because the rulers doubt Rhian's place on the throne doesn't mean they believe him to be a bad king...He's King Arthur's son and his true heir by birthright; He proved that when he pulled Excalibur when I couldn't even pull it."

Japeth felt a flare of irritation override the previous satisfaction he'd felt before. The mention of his twin was enough to turn Japeth's mood sour in a heartbeat. And the way Tedros had spoken, the way he'd seemed so adamant that Rhian was the true heir to Camelot's throne, made the irritation grow ever so greater inside Japeth.

Tedros was a fool, as were all his friends, and as was Rhian for believing that Rhian, Japeth's idiotic brother, was the true heir to Camelot's throne. The whole endless woods was made a fool of when Rhian pulled Excalibur and tricked them all into believing he was King Arthur's eldest son.

Japeth had made Rhian that fool. He'd strung Rhian along like a dog on a leash until there was no doubt in Rhian's mind that the two brothers were the sons of King Arthur.